Foamed body for cushioning material



| UNGER 3,394,414

July 30, 1968 FOAMED BODY FOR cusmoums MATERIAL Filed Aug. 11, 1966 i im AL m u ABM A:

Q WW iNVENTOR.

. 5 L 9 UM 7 e r- United States Patent 3,394,414 FOAMED BODY FORCUSHIONING MATERIAL Leo Unger, 5948 Phillips Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15217Filed Aug. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 578,956 1 Claim. (Cl. -345) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLUSURE This disclosure relates to new and useful improvements inthe method of making urethane foam bodies such as pillows, mattressesand the like, consisting of composite body sections of differentdensities and structural designs, and it is among the objects thereof toprovide such cushions or bodies which are substantially flat and inwhich opposite sides of the body are of different compression range;that is to say, in which one side of the cushion or bedding may be softand the opposite side relatively firm.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight cushion ofsimple construction in which the sectional members of which it is madeare assembled in outer casing section by heat sealing.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent froma consideration of the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereofin which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a urethane or other foam type ccushion embodying the principles of this invent-ion;

FIGURE 2 a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;and,

FIGURE 3 is a similar view of a modified form of inner sectionalmembers.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 generally designates a cushion-shaped foambody consisting of outer casing sections 2 and 3, FIGURE 2, which arejoined by heat sealing, as at 4. Within the casing there are innersections 5 and 6 and a dividing flat section 7. Neither of the innersections or the central flat section are joined by sealing, as isclearly shown in FIGURE 2.

The intermediate sections 5 and 6 are cored out to form pyramidal shapedprojections 8 and 9, which may be of difierent sizes. As disclosedin myformer Patent 3,205,515 dated Sept. 14, 1965, projections and recessesvaries the cushioning or displacement and expansion of the foam materialon opposite sides of the median or central member 7. It Will be notedthat the conical projections are staggered. By virtue of the differentsized projections, the compression range of opposite sides of thecushion varies, it being obvious that the longer projections offergreater compressibility than the shorter ones, so that a pillow on oneside would be softer than on the other. In FIGURE 3 only one of theintermediate members 10 is provided with the pyramidal projections andthe other intermediate member 11 is solid as is also the median member12. Aside from varying compressibility because of the physical nature ofthe intermediate sections; namely, the large or deep pyramidal membersand the relatively shorter ones of FIGURE 2, or by using the pyradimalsection with a solid section of FIG- URE 3, the degree ofcompressibility or the compression ice range can be varied. Also byutilizing material of different density, thus one of the outer casingsections would be of less density in the sections 5 and 6 of FIGURE 2 orsections 10 and 11 of FIGURE 3 than the other casing section. Likewise,the inner section 5 may have greater porosity than the inner section 6,which would make it softer or more compressible and likewise, as in FIG-URE 3, the solid inner section 11 could be made more dense than thematerial in the inner section 10.

This compression range is effected as follows:

A typical formula for urethane foam in use for cushions and bedding isbased upon toluene, diisocyanate and polyether resins derived frompropylene oxide. The water reacts with some of the toluene diisocyanateto form carbon dioxide which produces the foam and various densities offoam are produced by varying the water content. Some of this materialcurrently used for bedding compares as follows:

1.3 lbs. per cubic foot by weight has a compression range of 31-35 lbs.,and

3.0 lbs. per cubic foot has a compression range of 33-38 lbs.

While the foregoing explanation of the nature of the material is no partof the present invention and is not herein claimed, it illustrates themanner in which the compressibility of cushions and bedding may bevaried to the extent that opposite sides of a cushion may have a decideddifference in their compressibility which, of course, can still furtherbe varied by changing the physical structures of the inner sections, ashereinbefore described.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated anddescribed, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. A urethane foam body having oppositely disposed substantiallyparallel faces are reversible in use, said body having outer sectionsforming casing Walls and inner sections forming the main body portionseparated by a medial strip, said inner sections having recesses andprojections adjacent the medial strip with the projections and recesseson one of the inner sections being of greater length than theprojections and recesses of the inner section on the opposite side ofthe medial strip and said inner sections benig of varying porosity toprovide a difference in the compression range at opposite sides of theurethane foam body, said outer sections being sealed around their outerperiphery to retain the inner section in place.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,831,532 4/1958 Kasper 5-337 XR2,944,266- 7/ 1960 Wertheimer 5361 XR 2,953,195 9/1960 Turck 5-361 XR3,110,042 11/1963 Slemmons 5345 3,205,515 9/1965 Unger 5361 3,323,1526/1967 Lerman 5-361 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

A. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner.

